The present debate over national drug control policy is dominated by its extremes. On one side are the "drug warriors," who seek to eradicate drug use by advancing tight controls on drug production and harsh punishments for drug trafficking. On the other side are the advocates of drug legalization, who condemn the abolitionist strategy as costly, vindictive, and unrealistic. In its place they propose a regime of relaxed controls plus regulation for some or all drugs.

With compelling data derived from numerous studies conducted over many years, Dr. Sally Satel's Drug Treatment: The Case for Coercion demonstrates the effectiveness of mandated treatment for many druge abusers. If treatment is to fulfill its considerable promise as a key component of drug control policy, addicts must be compelled to enter treatment, stay the course, and "graduate." Unless we recognize the necessity for coercive strategies, we will lose the best chance we have for treating addicts in ways that can significantly improve the quality of their lives and that of the society they inhabit.

Sally Satel, M.D., is a resident scholar at AEI.

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